Documents not available for download from your FOI disclosure log / reasoning
Posty made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Education as part of a batch sent to 6 authorities
This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.
Dear FOI Department,
It has been noticed there are documents on your Freedom Of Information Disclosure Log where you have put the most redundant text next to FOI disclosures—the equivalent of “if you would like access to these documents, please email/contact us for access”.
Any person reviewing the information on that site would of course be after the documents. This lack of access displays complete disregard of the spirit of the FOI act section 11C and thus I request, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, copies of the following documents:
All documents as is (that is, redacted or unredacted) from all previously made decisions on your department's FOI log that are currently not available for download direct from the website.
My preferred method of delivery for this information is for it to be placed on your department's Freedom of Information disclosure log web page as per part A) of 11C of the FOI Act. Should this request be successful you can put a simple list of the documents that were made available from the request, or whatever is most expedient, on the log.
I apologise for my pessimism, but past FOI experiences have led me to believe this request may elicit a response similar to “this request would divert too many resources of your department to complete”. Should you be thinking this, you have nobody to blame but yourselves—your department made this metaphorical bed.
Should you be seriously considering a practical refusal, my alternative request is for any documents that your department holds relating to the decision to include text on your freedom of information disclosure log similar to "contact us for access to this document".
In addition I request the total of the number of times any member of the public has asked for access to each non-website published successful documents on the FOI disclosure log other than the original successful applicant.
I do accept there is a very remote possibility there is a “Good Reason” for these not being available, and I hope these are contained within the documents provided as I cannot foresee any.
In the interests of expediency, I am willing to consider Administrative Access to said documents, should the document be provided within 30 days ( plus any public holidays in-between) of the sending of this email. After this time - the FOI Act applies as normal in all instances and any requests for extension will be denied without a supplied very good reason.
Regards,
Posty
You have contacted the Freedom of Information Team at the Commonwealth
Department of Education. If your email relates to an FOI application made
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth), the department will
respond as soon as possible.
This email address is only for applications for documents under the FOI
Act. The department is unable to respond to non-FOI related enquiries
sent to this email address, and accordingly, emails sent to this email
address which are not FOI related will not be responded to or forwarded.
If you have a non-FOI related enquiry for the department, you can contact
the department by using the [1]online enquiry form.
Regards,
Freedom of Information Team
Commonwealth Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 488 064 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
References
Visible links
1. https://www.education.gov.au/node/2600
Dear Posty
We confirm receipt of your email below and will respond in due course.
If you have any questions about your email, please contact us via email at [email address].
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
-----Original Message-----
From: Posty <[FOI #5194 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 1 January 2019 12:00 AM
To: Education - FOI <[Department of Education request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Documents not available for download from your FOI disclosure log / reasoning
Dear FOI Department,
It has been noticed there are documents on your Freedom Of Information Disclosure Log where you have put the most redundant text next to FOI disclosures—the equivalent of “if you would like access to these documents, please email/contact us for access”.
Any person reviewing the information on that site would of course be after the documents. This lack of access displays complete disregard of the spirit of the FOI act section 11C and thus I request, under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, copies of the following documents:
All documents as is (that is, redacted or unredacted) from all previously made decisions on your department's FOI log that are currently not available for download direct from the website.
My preferred method of delivery for this information is for it to be placed on your department's Freedom of Information disclosure log web page as per part A) of 11C of the FOI Act. Should this request be successful you can put a simple list of the documents that were made available from the request, or whatever is most expedient, on the log.
I apologise for my pessimism, but past FOI experiences have led me to believe this request may elicit a response similar to “this request would divert too many resources of your department to complete”. Should you be thinking this, you have nobody to blame but yourselves—your department made this metaphorical bed.
Should you be seriously considering a practical refusal, my alternative request is for any documents that your department holds relating to the decision to include text on your freedom of information disclosure log similar to "contact us for access to this document".
In addition I request the total of the number of times any member of the public has asked for access to each non-website published successful documents on the FOI disclosure log other than the original successful applicant.
I do accept there is a very remote possibility there is a “Good Reason” for these not being available, and I hope these are contained within the documents provided as I cannot foresee any.
In the interests of expediency, I am willing to consider Administrative Access to said documents, should the document be provided within 30 days ( plus any public holidays in-between) of the sending of this email. After this time - the FOI Act applies as normal in all instances and any requests for extension will be denied without a supplied very good reason.
Regards,
Posty
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #5194 email]
Is [Department of Education request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Department of Education? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
Dear Posty
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any attachments.
Dear Education - FOI,
I'll keep it short -
I have very little sympathy that you consider actually making your documents accessible to the public "too much work" but for the sake of ANY access please revise the request down from:
"All documents as is (that is, redacted or unredacted) from previously made decisions on
your department's FOI log that are currently not available for download from the
website".
to
"All documents as is (that is, redacted or unredacted) from previously made decisions on
your department's FOI log that are currently not available for download from the
website for the years 2018/2019".
Please actually attempt to quantify the amount of work you think this is in pages - DVA has done so very well as an example here: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/5...
I will discard part B of the request though you are being exceedingly technocratic about it - you know the documents would exist in the inbox such as sent items in the group mailbox but not in a separate document. this would have involved a simple count of those documents (emails) that exist.
If you regularly go through and delete these and thus them not being available - an administrative answer would be fruitful.
Yours sincerely,
Posty
Dear Education - FOI,
NOTE - the delivery method I request IS NOT through email - but your website as advised - that seems largely missed in your correspondence - please acknowledge your understanding of this.
Yours sincerely,
Posty
Dear Education - FOI,
Also - perhaps DVA were the best in providing a table - the attorney generals department was much clearer in the amount of work and did not think that charging was appropriate so I don't want to be taking their lead in that regard.
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/5...
Yours sincerely,
Posty
Dear Posty
Please find attached correspondence in relation to your FOI request.
Due to the size of the documents being released to you, we will be sending
eight emails.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 3 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 2 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 5 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 6 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 7 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 4 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.
Dear Posty
This is Email 8 of 8 in relation to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Team
Department of Education and Training
Notice:
The information contained in this email message and any attached files may
be confidential information, and may also be the subject of legal
professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use,
disclosure or copying of this email is unauthorised. If you received this
email in error, please notify the sender by contacting the department's
switchboard on 1300 566 046 during business hours (8:30am - 5pm Canberra
time) and delete all copies of this transmission together with any
attachments.